Reminders: Wisdom is not Just for the Elderly

Reminders: Wisdom is not Just for the Elderly

Reminders: Wisdom is not Just for the Eldery

by Ardith Hoff

It has been said that wisdom comes with age, but it is more accurate to say that wisdom comes from experience. It is true that the older we get the more experiences we have had a chance to witness. A wise person learns from other peoples’ mistakes because she knows she will never live long enough to make them all herself. A wise person knows enough to use common sense. He knows that if at first he doesn’t succeed, chances are, skydiving was not for him.

A wise person has the ability to judge what is right and wrong. He knows that going to church does not make him a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes him a hamburger. That does not mean that wise people don’t go to church. They do! They know that in church is where they will learn some of the most important truths about what’s right and wrong, and how to behave more wisely. They learn that if they tell the truth they don’t have to remember what they said. They learn that to have meaning and purpose in their lives, they need to live their lives in an upright and responsible way. They learn that Jesus was the greatest teacher of all, and showed us that to be humble is more important than to be famous.

In James 3:13 we read: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” You don’t have to be old to understand that it is better to do what is right than to constantly worry that your misdeeds will eventually be revealed. It is better to be a good example than to copy the behavior of others who may seem brave and admirable, but are actually foolish and doomed to fail.

In Proverbs 19:20 Solomon reveals the secret to wisdom: “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and you will be counted among the wise.” Wisdom is the opposite of foolishness. It is a sign of maturity not age.